Man charged in UNCC professor’s homicide

CHARLOTTE — The man accused of killing a UNC Charlotte professor last week in south Charlotte’s Ayrsley community has been arrested, according to Charlotte Mecklenburg Police.

Donny Lewis Franklin, 45, of Charlotte was arrested about 4:30 p.m. Monday and booked into the jail four hours later on a first degree murder warrant, records show.

Court records in North Carolina and Virginia show Franklin has a history of assault arrests dating back to 1996.

He is accused of killing 35-year-old Jeannine Shante Skinner, an assistant professor of gerontology and psychology in the department of psychological sciences at UNC Charlotte.

Skinner’s body was found in an apartment off Interstate 485 near South Tryon Street at 11:37 a.m. after police were called to do a welfare check in the 9300 block of Kings Parade Boulevard. TV station WSOC identified the apartment as part of The Lofts at Charleston Row.

Initial information indicated the incident is possibly domestic related and the victim and suspect knew each other, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said.

In September 2003, Franklin pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of assault on a female, court records show, and a charge of violating a domestic violence protective order was dismissed at that time.

Virginia court records show Franklin was formerly a resident of Roanoke, Va., and was arrested there multiple times for crimes including reckless driving, assault and battery, burglary with intent to commit assault and trespassing. He was found guilty of assault and battery, burglary with intent to commit assault, trespassing and damaging a vehicle, records show.

Police have not yet said how Franklin was captured. A press release said he was found by the violent criminal apprehension team and taken into custody without incident.

Franklin was described prior to his arrest as armed and possibly suicidal.

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